Pheonix Rising
by infiniteMaddness
Summary: The day I died was the day my life began. Dying and then waking up in an unfamiliar place that doesn't appear to be heaven is not how Anastasia planned her life, but maybe it won't be all bad.
1. OC Profile

Authors Note: This is a story that centers around an OC, don't like? Don't read.

OC short profile(so that I don't give anything away):

Name: Anastasia Grey

Meaning of name (first):one who shall rise again

Age:24

Height: 5' 5"

Weight: 124 lbs

Eye color: grey

Hair color: reddish orange

Birthday: April 1st

Personality: Kind, outgoing, natural leader. She is a very trusting person(which is why she got caught.) She is very playful and enjoys making friends. She like red things, fire, rubies, blood (she's a little weird, she enjoys the metallic taste of blood, but she generally keeps that to herself).

Please read and review!


	2. Chapter 1: Death

"Is the prisoner ready for transport yet?"

"Not yet sir."

"Why the hell not! The hanging is schedualed for dawn, it is nearly dawn, why is the prisoner not yet on their way to the scaffold?"

"Uh-u-u-um..."

"Well? Spit it out man! Why?"

"Because I asked him to give me 5 minutes to make my peace with god." I called to the voices down the corridor.

"Hah! Make your peace with god? A likely story. Why the sudden intrest in god? Want to 'save your soul'? Well, I can tell you this, your soul is far too black to be saved, I doubt even the scalding waters of hell that await you can purge your soul of its unclenliness. Now then, you-" he barked at the man with him, "grab her and bring her up to the scaffold. Your reign of terror ends here girlie, are you afraid of what awaits you, is this why you have decided to 'make your peace with god'?"

"Death is just the beginning, I fear nothing." I replied.

Footsteps steadily grew louder until the two of them were standing just outside my cell, I slowly lifted my head, in the dim light I could see the two of them, there was the shortter, squat man with the beard who had left me in my cell for longer, and there, standing beside him, looking as though christmas had come early was the tall skinny man with the rat face that was to read out my charges and condem me on this fine autum morning. The short one reached into his pocket and drew out a ring of keys an began to search for the key to my cell. Evidently he found it and I soon heard the lock to my cell click open and the tell-tale squeaking of the door as my cell was opened.

More footsteps, I was now being unchained from the wall and being pulled to my feet. I lifted my head high and stared, emotionless in front of me as I was lead down the long and winding corrior to my death. I could begin to see the light of day as we reached the end of the corridor, we stopped momentarily as the door was opened and I had to sheild my eyes as I had not seen daylight in many months. Before my eyes could adjust I was being pulled along again. And, for all my posturing and growing sense of terror was beginning to mount, what if it wasn't a short hanging? What if it was a long hanging? Or worse, being hung, drawn and quartered. Perhaps that was why the tall man seemed so pleased, was I going to meet a gruesome and painfull end? I shuddered, an action which did not go unnoticed.

"Not so brave now are we? For all you pretend you're really just a scared girl who is going to die here, and now." the tall man said.

I chose not to dignify his remark with a response, I was too busy trying to hold my head high amidst all the cheering, and jeering of the crowd below. They were here to see a show, and I was almost certain that thy would get one. Lost in my thoughts I was suddenly jerked back to reality when we stopped and the executioner began to place the noose around my neck and began to tighten it. He then stepped back and waited.

"The charges against the accused are as follows, that the accused did knowingly commit acts of treason, piracy and hersay. The accused, Anastasia Grey has been found guilty, of all charges and is sentenced to hang by the neck until dead." the tall man read out.

I could hear the footsteps of the executioner behnd me, the creaking of the boards, the laughing of the crowd, the cying; wait who was crying, I couldn't see any faces, but I assumed it mus have been my crew, I wish they wouldn't have came, they don't need to be here. Then I was, once again jerked back into reality when I felt the floor beneath my feet dissapear, and a moment I was weightless, and then the rope pulled taunt, I was in for a long hanging.

The rope cut into my throat, I tried not to thrash, but I couldn't help it, I jerked on the rope, desprate for air. As it became harder to breathe I bacame more desprate, I thrashed harder, and harder. Gradually the sounds of the crowd faded out and my vision became blurred, I could not see anything, and then after what seemed like an eternity, there was nothing.

* * *

"Hey, d'you think she's okay?"

"I dunno she looks a bit pale."

"I don't think she has a pulse." Murmuring.

"So then, d'you reckon she's dead?"

"Hey look! She's moving"

"Wha-? No way, I swear she didn't have a pulse"

I felt someone's hand on my neck, "Well she's got one now."

"Someone go get the captain, or one of the commanders, I'm sure they'll know what to do."

"What do you mean?"

"Well y'know, like if we toss her overboard, or do we help her, y'know, something like that."

"Okay, I'll go get the captain."

I managed to open my eyes. Finaly! And what I saw surprised me, there were a bunch of worried looking guys looking at me.

"Hey, she's opened her eyes." one of them called. A bunch of faces pressed in near me, and I, promptly, blacked out.

I felt myself slide back into consiousness, and I once again slowly opened my eyes. I began to look around at where I was, it appeared to be some sort of ship or something, which comforted me somewhat, I always felt safe on ships.

"Well, looks like sleeping beauty has finaly woken up." a voice to my left said.

I quickly turned my head, too quickly, it appearred, as my vision began to blur, all I could make out was a mess of blond hair and a tatoo of a cross with a sideways crescent moon on it on the man's chest, be fore I promptly blacked out... Again.


	3. Chapter 2: Trouble?

_ ** AN: Hey, sorry to everyone who read this chapter, I accidentally posted the wrong version of the chapter and gave you guys a half-finished chapter, sorry, I nticed my mistake a bit late, sorry to any confused by the previous and confusing end to this chapter**_

Slowly my senses began to come back to me. I could hear people conversing in hushed voiced outside the door, but they were quiet and I couldn't make out what they were saying. I could smell the ocean along with lots of other strange things that I couldn't put my finger on. I began to open my eyes slowly, I could see blurs of objects. Slowly the room came into focus, I took in the room, this time I appeared to be the only person in the room. I appeared to be on a ship if the gentle rocking of the room, smell of the ocean, and wooden walls, floor and roof were any indicators. '_So, I'm on a ship, I don't know where I am, who's ship I'm on, if they are friend or foe, or how I'm not dead, 'cause I'm pretty sure I was hanged._'

Hearing footsteps approaching the door I quickly sat up. '_Okay, bad plan._' I clutched at my now pounding head as I tried to get my self together. '_Note to self: sit up and move slowly_' I could hear a new voice outside the door, so I strained to hear what they were saying.

"-oken up yet?"

"We haven't checked yet sir."

"Don't bother, I'm here, I'll check."

"Yes sir, commander Thatch."

Footsteps began to recede, so I assume whoever was outside the door just left, which means the only person there is Thatch, whoever that is. 'Thatch, that's a strange name, I wounder where I am. I must be rather far from England, I wonder wh-' my thoughts were cut short as the door suddenly opened. When the man walked in he looked rather surprised to see me awake and sitting up, however surprise was momentary and he soon broke into a large smile.

"Well, looks like you're up for good this time. Marco was pretty worried when you blacked out the second time."

"What?" I was honestly surprised, these people were worried about me, that must mean that they are not my enemies right?

"Well, I suppose you must have fallen rather far. So, you must be from a sky island right?"

I just stared at him. '_A sky island? What the bloody hell is a sky island?' _While I silently thought to myself I looked over at him and realized that he was still patiently waiting for my response. What am I supposed to say? So I decided to do my best with the truth. "Um, no. I don't even know what a sky island is."

He looked rather surprised at that. "Well then, where are you from?"

"I'm from England"

"England?" He thought for a couple minutes. "Never heard of England, which blue is it in? North, South, East or West? Or is it part of the Grand Line?"

I just stared blankly at him. _'I've never heard of these 'blues' are they supposed to be the oceans? And what is the grand line? And more importantly how has this man never heard of England? Everyone knows of England.'_ Once again I decided to go with the truth (what can I say, I may be a pirate, but I'm an honest pirate) "It's in the Atlantic Ocean, it's near France and Spain." I paused for a minute then continued. "And how have you never heard of England it is one of the world superpowers we lead the expeditions to the new world."

At that he looked rather surprised. "New world? You've been to the new world? No offence, but you don't look like you would survive the new world. Are you a pirate or a marine?"

At this I got rather annoyed. _'I don't look like I could survive the new world? What the hell? I lead my own bloody crew, this wanker dosen't know what he's talking about. And do I look like a marine? Those filthy bastards tried to kill me (although they may have succeded, still now sure on that point).' _After taking some time to think things out and calm my rage, as I felt it would not do at all to start cussing this guy out, I spoke, "Well, first off, I am absolutely, positively not one of those beedin' navy bastards, I'm a pirate, a captain in fact, I have my own crew. And I have certainly been to the new world, went over there with a ship of colonists as protection and on the way back plundered some of those Spanish bastards' ships. I have no clue where they land in the new world, but they always have such nice gold and trinkets, gotta admit, for Spaniards they have good taste in treasure..." At this I trailed off as I realized that I had (kinda) gotten off topic, and that the man, Thatch, was just staring at me, I glared back. When he noticed that I was glaring he just put up his hands in surrender.

"So, where in the new world have you been? Gotten close to finding One Piece?" He asked.

"What in he bloody hell is a 'one piece', if it's just one piece of treasure I don't want it." After that he just kinda stared at me, mouth agape, then he got up, crossed to the door and stuck his head out the door and called out into the hall: "Hey pops, I think we've got a problem, you need to get over here... bring Marco." Then he just came back in and looked me once over and took his place in the hall by the door again.

_'Oh God, what's happening now?'_


	4. Chapter 3: Talking

**AN: I'd just like to thank everyone who recently reviewed and added this story to their favourites and watches, it means a lot to me that people like this story, ramblehonestly I was about to scrap this story when I found the second chapter I had written and figured that I might as well post it, the positive response is what has made me decide to continue the story. I can't promise constant updates, but I can promise at least to continue the story./ramble **

'So, he's just outside and he's called for two other men, both of whom are most likely of higher rank than he is. I think that now would be the best time to try and escape, I know that there is a crazy guy outside the door and two others are coming, so I can assume that through that door I will find no safe passage, meaning that I shall have to find another way out.'

With that thought in mind I began subtley looking around for a way out, I didn't know how much time I had but I knew that every second I have would be precious. 'Bloody hell, there's no way out, think Anastasia, think! There has to be some way out, the room is lit and I can't smell or see any smoke, something must be illuminating the room, if not candles then a window... but where is the window? Maybe it's over ther-' My thoughts came to an abrupt halt as I heard voices in the hallway again, they were muffled but I caught the gist of what they were saying, whoever that man - Thatch - had called were here and and second that door would open, without a clear exit strategy (or any sort of strategy whatsoever) I decided that I wouuld have to remain civil and gauge wherether or not these people were friendly, if they were, then no harm in staying for a bit - or at the very least listening to them - however, if they proved dangerous to me in any outward manner, well I will cross that bridge when I come to it. On that happy note I crossed back to the bed and sat cross-legged on it facing the door.

Just as I got myself settled the door began to open and 3 men stepped inside, first was the man with the strange hair, Thatch, next came a man of similar height to Thatch, however he had blond hair that kinda went everywhere, however he must have shaved the sides of his head as the hair was only on the top of his head, he had a lazy smile on and as he walked in he said, "glad to see you're okay". Then finally, the largest man I had ever laid eyes on walked in, he wore a bandana on his head, had a big white mustache and wore a white coat over his shoulders, it was he that spoke first.

"Thatch tells me that you don't seem to be from around here, but I'd like to hear it from you child. Tell me, where are you from?" Though it was phrased as a question I could hear the authority in his voice and I knew it was not a request, it was an order.

"I am from England, specifically from Ramsgate, England."

"I see," he said, "and how exaclty did you get here miss..." He trailed off, looking for a name.

"Grey, Anastasia Grey." I said. "And as to how I got here, well I'm not exactly sure honestly, the memory's kind of hazy."

"Well, how about you tell us what you can remember and perhaps the hazy parts will come back to you." I swear I must have turned white as a sheet judging by their faces after that statement. '_Bloody hell, how am I supposed to explain that was indulging in her majesty's pleasure expection a long drop and a sudden stop only to have the pleasure of a long hanging, dying and then waking up here? They'd think that I'm a tad barny, that I'd lost the plot._' Breaking out of my reviere I saw them all looking at me, the one that spoke next was the one with the blond hair.

"What's wrong?" he asked, "surely you can remember at least a bit of what happened to ya kid."

Then Thatch cut in, "I don't think it's that she can't remember Marco," '_okay, mental note, blond one is Marco, the other one must be 'pops''_ "I think it's that she either doesn't want to or the memories are really bad." He said.

Then the tall one 'pops' joined the conversation, "I don't think it's either of those, I think that she may not be of our world. It's been known to happen, during times of great turmoil the borders separating dimensions can be broken down or even joined together, I think most likely this young girl is very out of her element." Then he turned to me, "My name is Edward Newgate, better known as 'Whitebeard', these two," he jestured to Marco and Thatch. "are Marco and Thatch, commanders of the 1st and 4th divisions respectively, now then, how about you tell us your story."

At this point I kinda figured 'you know? why not.' So I launched into my story, I told them about my adventures as a pirate, being caught, going to jail, and then finally dying. Throughout the whole story they just stood there and listened quietly. Finally, when I was done there was simply silence. Then Whitebeard spoke.


End file.
